Green Elements at the Headquarters Building

CalEPA Wins Award

In December 1999, California Construction Link magazine awarded the new CalEPA building “Best of 1999 Awards–Outstanding Engineering” for “innovation in air handling, window placement, and recycling, resulting in a 25-story office tower with significant energy savings over California’s stringent energy codes.” CalEPA’s new home has many environmentally sensitive features. A few are listed below:

Building design that maximizes daylight penetration through the optimal placement of windows, and by minimizing the number of hard wall offices close to the windows.

Dual pane “Low E” exterior glass for energy conservation.

Super high efficiency/low mercury lighting tubes, and perimeter light sensors that automatically dim the lights when the sun shines in brightly.

Solar energy generation of up to 55,180 KWH by the 736 photovoltaic panels mounted on the low rise roof.

Low-flow toilets.

Each floor has at least two mechanical rooms, which also function as “fan rooms” that serve only that floor, and can flush that floor with outside air, on command.

Use of environmentally sensitive and resource efficient materials throughout.

Provision of 25 electric vehicle charging stations on the roof of the cty’s Lot I parking garage (CalEPA is also pursuing solar panels for electrical generation in connection with these stations).